Steven Allan Carlson was born in Galesburg, Illinois and schooled in Elmhurst, Illinois. In 1971 he went through the Chicago Afees station to be a private in the Infantry. After jump school and ranger school, he was assigned to Oscar Company Rangers, Sgt. Clem Lemke's team.

Thanks to the GI bill, Carlson received an associates degree from SIU's Corrections and Law Enforcement Program, as well as a bachelor's degree in political science. Then, after working off-shore in the oil field for several years, he was accepted to night school at Chicago-Kent College of Law. After working days as a law cleark, and summer vacations for Vance International, Carlson earned his Juris Doctor degree.

Carlson was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Illinois, the District of Columbia cout of appeals, the Supreme Court of Florida, the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the US Supreme Court, and other federal trial and appellate courts. Martindale-Hubbell rated Carlson 4.4/5.0.

After 30 years of practice, Carlson retired in 2020 in Florida, where he lives with his wife, Stephanie Olson.